Antibiotics Prescriptions Pattern among Patients Visiting Primary Health Care Centers (PHCC) before and during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study from Qatar
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been associated with an increased risk of secondary bacterial infections. Numerous studies have reported a surge in antibiotic usage during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to examine the impact of the COVID...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Antibiotics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/12/8/1228 |
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| author | Salma Al-Nuaimi Sara Alkuwari Abdullah M. Al-Jubouri Salma Hegazi Lolwa Jolo Hafsa Khalid Saoud Bossa Eisa Al-Shirawi Merin Alex Khalid H. Elawad Habib Hasan Farooqui Susu M. Zughaier |
| author_facet | Salma Al-Nuaimi Sara Alkuwari Abdullah M. Al-Jubouri Salma Hegazi Lolwa Jolo Hafsa Khalid Saoud Bossa Eisa Al-Shirawi Merin Alex Khalid H. Elawad Habib Hasan Farooqui Susu M. Zughaier |
| author_sort | Salma Al-Nuaimi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been associated with an increased risk of secondary bacterial infections. Numerous studies have reported a surge in antibiotic usage during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the frequency and patterns of antibiotic prescriptions at Primary Health Care Centers (PHCC) in Qatar, comparing the period before and during the pandemic. Methods: This population-based, cross-sectional study analyzed all antibiotic prescriptions issued in two-month intervals before COVID-19 (November and December 2019) and during the initial wave (June and July 2020) of COVID-19. The study included 27 PHCCs in Qatar. Results: Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the PHCCs dispensed a total of 74,909 antibiotic prescriptions in November and December. During the first wave of COVID-19, the number decreased to 29,273 prescriptions in June and July 2020. Antibiotics were most commonly prescribed for adults and least commonly for the elderly, both before and during the COVID-19 period. In the pre-COVID-19 period, Betalactams and macrolides accounted for the majority (73%) of all antibiotic prescriptions across all age groups. However, during the COVID-19 period, Betalactams and other antibiotics such as Nitrofurantoin and Metronidazole (73%) were the most frequently prescribed. Conclusion: The rate of antibiotic prescriptions during the first wave of COVID-19 was lower compared to the two months preceding the pandemic at the PHCC in Qatar. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:12:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e82cfacce5a44a63968c12a640449db9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-6382 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:12:01Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Antibiotics |
| spelling | doaj.art-e82cfacce5a44a63968c12a640449db92023-11-18T23:58:41ZengMDPI AGAntibiotics2079-63822023-07-01128122810.3390/antibiotics12081228Antibiotics Prescriptions Pattern among Patients Visiting Primary Health Care Centers (PHCC) before and during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study from QatarSalma Al-Nuaimi0Sara Alkuwari1Abdullah M. Al-Jubouri2Salma Hegazi3Lolwa Jolo4Hafsa Khalid5Saoud Bossa6Eisa Al-Shirawi7Merin Alex8Khalid H. Elawad9Habib Hasan Farooqui10Susu M. Zughaier11Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, QatarDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, QatarDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, QatarDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, QatarDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, QatarDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, QatarDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, QatarDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, QatarHealth Protection, PHCC, Doha 26555, QatarHealth Protection, PHCC, Doha 26555, QatarDepartment of Population Medicine, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, QatarDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, QatarBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been associated with an increased risk of secondary bacterial infections. Numerous studies have reported a surge in antibiotic usage during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the frequency and patterns of antibiotic prescriptions at Primary Health Care Centers (PHCC) in Qatar, comparing the period before and during the pandemic. Methods: This population-based, cross-sectional study analyzed all antibiotic prescriptions issued in two-month intervals before COVID-19 (November and December 2019) and during the initial wave (June and July 2020) of COVID-19. The study included 27 PHCCs in Qatar. Results: Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the PHCCs dispensed a total of 74,909 antibiotic prescriptions in November and December. During the first wave of COVID-19, the number decreased to 29,273 prescriptions in June and July 2020. Antibiotics were most commonly prescribed for adults and least commonly for the elderly, both before and during the COVID-19 period. In the pre-COVID-19 period, Betalactams and macrolides accounted for the majority (73%) of all antibiotic prescriptions across all age groups. However, during the COVID-19 period, Betalactams and other antibiotics such as Nitrofurantoin and Metronidazole (73%) were the most frequently prescribed. Conclusion: The rate of antibiotic prescriptions during the first wave of COVID-19 was lower compared to the two months preceding the pandemic at the PHCC in Qatar.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/12/8/1228antibioticprescription patternCOVID-19primary healthcareQatar |
| spellingShingle | Salma Al-Nuaimi Sara Alkuwari Abdullah M. Al-Jubouri Salma Hegazi Lolwa Jolo Hafsa Khalid Saoud Bossa Eisa Al-Shirawi Merin Alex Khalid H. Elawad Habib Hasan Farooqui Susu M. Zughaier Antibiotics Prescriptions Pattern among Patients Visiting Primary Health Care Centers (PHCC) before and during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study from Qatar Antibiotics antibiotic prescription pattern COVID-19 primary healthcare Qatar |
| title | Antibiotics Prescriptions Pattern among Patients Visiting Primary Health Care Centers (PHCC) before and during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study from Qatar |
| title_full | Antibiotics Prescriptions Pattern among Patients Visiting Primary Health Care Centers (PHCC) before and during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study from Qatar |
| title_fullStr | Antibiotics Prescriptions Pattern among Patients Visiting Primary Health Care Centers (PHCC) before and during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study from Qatar |
| title_full_unstemmed | Antibiotics Prescriptions Pattern among Patients Visiting Primary Health Care Centers (PHCC) before and during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study from Qatar |
| title_short | Antibiotics Prescriptions Pattern among Patients Visiting Primary Health Care Centers (PHCC) before and during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study from Qatar |
| title_sort | antibiotics prescriptions pattern among patients visiting primary health care centers phcc before and during covid 19 pandemic a cross sectional population based study from qatar |
| topic | antibiotic prescription pattern COVID-19 primary healthcare Qatar |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/12/8/1228 |
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